About 10 years ago, many hours after my scheduled shift had ended; I was dragging my way down the hall to clock out.
I was working in a technical job in a hospital that was demanding both mentally and physically and required staying until the job was done - there was no relief staff - and we were on-call with frequent night call outs. It could be so demanding that once, my co-worker and I actually commented that next year we would NOT take the flu shot so that we could at least have a break if we caught the flu!
I was running on nothing, my mind was numb and I'm sure I was near tears. As I neared the time-clock, I heard through a doorway someone call out to another "Hey Joe". All I could think of was I wish my name was Joe, just Joe, just plain Joe. I wanted to be Nobody.
The idea took and as I longed to be Joe, I wondered what Joe's last name would be, just plain Joe ______?
Brown came to mind; generic, simple, clean, easy to say, easy to spell; a beautiful plain name, Brown.
I started calling myself, as a nick-name, Joe Brown. I'd sign up for things in my new name and soon mail was being sent to Joe Brown. I was elated. My family was mystified.
My life is no longer stressful. Life itself is simple and beautiful, but not plain. But I still love the name.
This is an old blog I found that I started in 2006 and had named justjoe, joe brown that is. Today, I am resurrecting this blog and it will be a place to enjoy whatever is on my mind, a place of peace, a place to rest. It is a testimony to the goodness and happiness that is in my life.
Please pull up a chair and join in with your thoughts. Let's play!